Centrifuge



Dec. 2-, 1930. PETSQHE AL 1,783,546

GENTRIFLIGE Filed Sept. 7. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 2, 1930. e. B.PETSCHE ET AL 1,783,546

CENTRIFUGE Filed Sept. 7. 1929 lawns-sheet 2.

Dec; 2, 1930. G. s. PETSCHE ET AL 1,783,546

' CENTRIFUGE Filed Sept. '7. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 G. B. PETE-SCHEETIAL, 1,783,546

Dec. 2, 1930 CENTRIFUGE Filed Sept. '7. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 L k?III/(JLTCZOTDS 61265251029. P653056 JQMEDFGSSW Patented Dec. 2, 1930UNITED sr-Arss .rATEjNr FFICE GUSTAV B. PE'IQCHE AND AIiFRED E.DRISSNER, OF GLE'VEiJAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE NATIONAL ACME COMPANY,01 CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO Y .cmrmmuen Application-filedSeptember 7, 1929. Serial No. 390,975.

lhis inventionrelatesnto centrifuges for separating liquids, the objector the present invention being to provide a small and compact centrifugewhich can be usedeither as m a separator or aclarifier, and thereforethe All primary object of the present. inventionis the provision of acombined centrifuge and clarifier quickly convertible from one into theother without the necessity of providing interchangeable parts and whichis compara- I tivelv simple in construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a centrifuge inwhich the bowl comprises a plurality of cylinder-forming chambers, allthe ports of which are below and above the cylinders and none throughthe walls thereof, whereby the fluid isgiven the longest possible traveland in which the fluid in one form of apparatus is required to travel inparallel paths three times the length of the cylinders, whereby superiorresults are obtained. I 1 A still further object is the provision in acentrifuge of an improved bowl, readily assembled and easily. cleaned. l

Another object is the provision ofa bowl provided with adjustable portswhereby the.

condition of the fluid may not only be controlled, but the apparatusquickly converted from a separator to a clariher or-vice versa.

. In the purifying of liquids by centrifuge force, the best efiiciencyis obtained by having the liquid travel through the revolving bowl inthin layers or strata and also have it remain in the bowl as long aspossible, since impurities require time to settle out of the liquid andthis time is reducedby'reducing the thickness of the layers. This isalso true of the separation of two liquids of difierent specificgravities.- When purifying liquids from which solids only have to beremoved,

the'centrifuge is set up as aclarifier and in that case the solidsaccumulate within the bowl .and have to be removed from time to time,with the consequent interruption in the operation of the machine unlessa car rier liquid is used to carry away the solids throughspecialdischarge portsto prevent accumulation.

In separators the location or distance of the discharge ports withreference. to

axis of rotation is very important. These discharge ports correspond toand have tovary'with the variation of the specific gravities. Otherwise,if water, for instance, is to be separated from oil and the distance ofthe overflow for the oil is too close toward the axis of rotation, anundue amount. of

oil will discharge-with the water, and if too far away then part of thewater discharges with the oil. It has heretofore been the usual practiceto have one port stationary and the other adjustable by interchangeablerings of difi'erent size or bore. To interchange these rings is atime-taking and rather troublesome manipulatipn assomedetaileddescription thereof.

in the drawings accompanying and formm a partof this spec1ficat1on--igure' 1 is a vertical sectional view of this improved centrifuge andseparator;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. l; i

Fig. 3 is a top view of the bowltaken on line 3-.3, Fig. l;

Fig. l is a cross-s line 4-4, Fig.1; 7

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view adjacent to ghe bottom of the bowltaken on line 5-5, I g. V My Fig. 6 isa cross=sectional view of theupper ectional view taken on spindle bearing taken on line 66, Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the bowl bottom;

Fig. 8 is atop view of the inner cylinder centering member or ring;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 99, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the machine mounted on a plate and driven bya motor also mounted thereon; and

Fig. 11 is a view of this machine mounted on a pedestal and driven by asomewhat differently arranged motor.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof, we desire to have it understood that the invention isnot limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capable of other embodiments, and that the 'phraseology which weemploy is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

By reason of the fact that the machine is small and compact, it may bedirectly driven, as shown in Fig. 1; or mounted on a pedestal, as shownin Fig. 11, and driven by a motor mounted in the manner therein shown;or. it may be mounted on a plate driven by a motor mounted on the sameplate, as shown in Fig. 10; or in other ways, as found desirable inpractice.

This improved combined centrifuge and clarifier comprises a casing orhousing 2 having an oil sight or window 2 and a clean liquid dischargeopening or pipe 2" from an oil chamber 2'. This housing 2 has a suitablesupporting base 3 in which is located a rotating spindle '4 carrying aspiral pinion 5 in mesh with a spiral gear 6 within the easing. Thisspiral gear 6 is fixed to a shaft 8 which is driven by a suitable motor7 (see Fig. 2). The shaft 8 is suitably mounted on ballbearings 9. Inthis manner the spindle 4 is directly driven. In the form shown in Fig.11, the spindle is driven by a suitable motor 10 mounted on a shaftconnected by a belt with a pulley which in turn is provided with thenecessary means for rotating the spindle; while in Fig. 10 the motor 11is located outside tlie casing for rotating the spindle.

The rotating spindle is supported at its lower end by suitable ballbearing 12 supported by an upturned ring or flange 13 at the bottom ofthe casing and is maintained against separation from its bearings bymeans of a nutor collar 14. This rotating spindle is also supported byan upper bearing 15 carried by an inturned flange 15'- of the casing,suitable spring-pressed plungers 16 being used to provide a yieldingsupport of the spindle, the springs being maintained in position bysuitable adjustable threaded caps 17. This upper bearing is carried-by asuitable housing 18 and bearingca 19, the latter carrying an oil sealingcollar 20 for the bowl spindle. At the top of the bearing housing 18 andsecured to the spindleis located a friction cone 21 for supporting thebottom of the bowl which is provided with a similarly-formed cone member22, thus forming a friction clutch-like drive while facilitating a readyremoval of the bowl by slipping it off the spindle for cleaning. Thebowl shell 23 is thread-fitted into the bottom 24 thereof, and adjacentto the cone 22 this bottom is provided with discharge ports 24. Thebottom is also provided with an upwardly-extending sleeve or bearingmember 25 for the rotating spindle. The spindle is preferably of anintegral structure and the bowl can be readily removed therefrom, whendesired it being understood that the bowl rotates with the rotatingspindle by means of the friction clutch members 21 and 22. For thepurpose of braking the bowl, a suitable brake 26 is provided mounted inthe housing 2 and in position to engage the upturned flange of thebottom 24 of the bowl, thereby to quickly stop the rotation of the bowlwhen the drive therefor is stopped.

Located around the bowl 23 is a bowl-protecting shellor housing 27projecting into the housing 2 and suitably secured thereto, and thishousing 27 is provided near its top with a waste-collecting chamber 28.having a discharge spout or pipe 29 and is closed by acover 3O suitablysecured to the housing 27 by clamps 31. Centrally of and carried by thecover is located a suitable inlet, including an inlet nozzle 32. Thebowl 23 comprising the outer shell and the bottom 24 hereinbeforereferred to, is also provided with a top plate 33 suitably securedthereto, in which is mounted a series of rotatable plugs or plates 34-(see Fig. 3) each provided with outlet ports 35 opening into a chamber36 between the top of the bowl and the cover 30 and which chamber leadsto the waste-collecting chamber 28.

By rotating the plugs 34 to carry the outlet ports 35 thereof into thepositions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the center of these holeswill be much nearer to the center of the bowl, as are the ports 24 inits bottom. Consequently, when the bowl is spinning, normally no fluidwill discharge through the ports 35, only through the ports 24. and thusthe separator is converted into a clarifier in which the solids whichaccumulated inside of the bowl must be removed at intervals by theoperator.

Carried by the upper end of the rotating spindle 4, which is reduced forthe purpose, is a bowl spindle head 37, which is also supported by asupporting tube 38 encircling the flange 25 and supported by the bottom24 of the bowl. This bowl spindle head 37 has a cone-shaped chamber 39at the 'top in communication with the inlet nozzle 32, and this head isprovided in the bottom thereof with impelling ports 40 opening into theinner or first cylinder 43 of the bowl hereinafter described. This headis provided with a horifor which purpose the plugs are provided withslots 34'.

Located within the bowl is a pair of tubes or cylinders 43 and 44 (thecylinder 43 being designated as the inner cylinder and the cylinder 44as the outer c linder), andthev small inner cylinder or tu e issupported at its top by the spindle head 37 and at its lower end by acentering ring 45, a part of which is located between the inner cylinder43 and the outer cylinder 44. This centering ring is supported on thebottom of the bowl and is provided with vertically-located ports 46(herein designated as light fluid ports) and with horizontally-locatedports 47 (herein designated as heavy fluid or impeller ports). Thiscentering ring 45 holds the tubes or cylinders 43 and 44 in position andseparates tube 43 from tube 44. The lower end of the tube 44 is likewisecarried by this ring 45, while the top thereof is supported by thespindle head 37 and at the top of this outer cylinder the ports 42 arelocated.

The machine is provided (see Fig. 2) with a rear cover 50 and a frontcover 51 whereby access to the motor housing 52 and the related parts isobtained, a suitable oil-sealed collar 53 being provided.

ber 39 approximately the same speed as the V inner cylinder 43. Theinner radius of this bowl cylinder 43, wth reference to the dis tance ofthe exit ports 24' in'the bowl bottom from the axis of rotation, is suchthat only a film of fluid can remain on the surface of the cylinder 43instead of being submerged by a. heavy layer,so that this cylinder mayproperly be termed a dry one, as compared with the outer or largercylinder 44 which is submerged.

This construction facilitates the separation and clarification to agreat extent, as it is a Well-known fact that with a thin film undercentrifugal force, water, oil and dirt separate almost instantly. Thewater within the oil 'may be distributed in atom size, but in a thinfilm under pressure forms drops. This takes place before the fluid underpressure leaves the inner cylinder 43. In this state the fluid entersthrough the horizontal impeller ports 47 at the bottom of the bowl andpasses into what may be termed the accumulating chamber 44 formedbetween the outer cylinder 44 and the bowl shell 23. Here the water, oiland residue form strata,the oil nearest to the axis of rotation, theresidue at the extreme radius, and the water between the two. Owing tothe greatest centrifugal force in this part of the bowl, the mostextensive separation and clarification take place, assisted by the longtravel over the 'whole length of the bowl and the parallel flow from thebottom to the top. After this the water and residue discharge from thechamber 44 around the separating disk 41 which extends nearly across thetop thereof to the bowl shell 23 and through the horizontal ports 42 andports 35 into the chamber or trough 28 and thence through the waste pipe29; while the oil passes through ports 42 into the intermediate chamber43' formed between the inner cylinder 43 and the outer cylinder 44,where the oil receives an additional purification before it leavesthrough the vertical ports 46 and 24 at the bottom of the bowl, andthence it passes into the oil chamber 2" and from thence through theclean discharge opening or pipe 2". Thus the oil has to travel threetimes the length of the bowl, continually exposed to centrifugal force,while going through the process of purification. Should it be found thatit still contains some water or some oil discharges with the water, thena slight adjustment of the convertible plugs 34, thereby to change theradius of discharge, will correct this. As hereinbeforc stated, when itis desired to remove the solids from a fluid without separating one fromthe other, these convertible plugs 34 are rotated into-the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereby the separator is converted intoa clarifier in which the solids accumulate until they are removed atintervals by the operator.

The bowl'is easily dismantled and can be operated Without the cylinders43 and 44 and the bottom centering ring 45 when purification of thematerial to be treated does not have to be of high grade.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the cylinders are notprovided with any ports through their sidewalls at all and that theports in communication with these cylinders or the chambersformed'thereby are so located at the top and bottom of the bowl as togive highly efficient and superior results. Furthermore, the ports atthe bottom are all carried by a centering ring readily inserted andremoved and by the detachable bottom of the bowl, and at the top of thebowl by a spindle head and rotatable plugs, all of which likewise can bereadily removed and replaced, thereby permitting quick and easyassemblage of the bowl parts and the cleaning thereof; while the severalchambers formed by the cylinders or tubes 43 and 44 are all properlyspaced from each other by the same centering ring and spindle head,-thus providing, in conjunction with a simple form of bowl-protectinghousing having a waste chamber therein and cover therefor a very simpleand compact machine having the smallest number of parts and in which thebowl may be readily removed by slipping it from the spindle,and thebowl-protecting housing may also be removed, if desired, from thehousing carrying the driving mechanism for the rotating spindle, sinceit may be secured thereto in any suitable way. Furthermore. access tothe driving mechanism housing is readily obtained by the removablecovers located at the ends thereof (see Fig. 2). Thus it will be seenthat for a machine as efiicient as the present one has proved to be inpractice, the parts are comparatively few and that without the necessityof removing any parts the machine may be readily converted from aclarifier into a separator.

One of the important features of the present improvement is theprovision of the adjustable plugs 34 having the outlet ports 35eccentrically located relatively to the stationary outlet ports 42, thusdoing entirely away with the necessity of providing interchangeableremovable rings, and which plugs 34 are rotatable to change the radiusof discharge. The adjustment of these plugs does not change the size ofthe port or orifice but only the location thereof relatively to thecenter of rotation, thereby to adjust the radius of discharge.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein anyparticular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limitthe invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirementsof the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of our said invention and described away of constructing and using the same, although without attempting toset forth all of the forms in which it maybe made or all of the modes ofits use, we claim:

1. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotable spindle, means forrotating it, and a bowl carried by the spindle and having nestingcylinder-formin g chambers, said bowl having an inlet nozzle and achamber communicating therewith, said chamber having exit ports locatedat its extreme radius thereby to give the fluid when leaving the chamberapproximately the same speed as the inner cylinder, said chambers havingcommunicating ports so located as to pass the fluid from the innermostchamber to the outermost chamber and from there toward the center ofrotation through an adjacent chamber. 4

2. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, and a bowl carried by the spindle and having nestingcylinder-formin g chambers, said bowl having an inlet nozzle and achamber communicating therewith, said chamber having inclined exit portslocated at its extreme radius thereby to give the fluid when leaving thechamber approximately the same speed as the inner cylinder, saidchambers having communicating ports so located as to pass the fluid fromthe innermost chamber to the outermost chamber and from there toward thecenter of rotation through an adjacent chamber.

3. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, and a bowl carried thereby having nesting cylinder-forminginner, outer and intermediate chambers, said bowl having inlet ports tothe top of the inner chamber, outlet ports connecting the inner andouter chambers at the bottom thereof, and outlet ports communicatingwith the bottom of the intermediate chamber, the radius of the innercylinder relatively to the distance of the exit of said last outletports from the axis of rotation being such that only a film of fluid canremain on the surface of the cylinder instead of being submerged by aheavy layer of fluid.

4. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, and a bowl having a plurality of cylinder-forming chamberstherein, said chambers having communicating ports so located as to passthe fluid from the innermost chamber to the outermost chamber and fromthere toward the center of rotation through an adjacent chamber.

5. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, and a bowl having a plurality of cylinder-forming chamberstherein, said bowl having ports so located as to pass the fluidalternately through each of said chambers throughout the entire lengththereof, one of said chambers being so located and of such diameter withrelation to the ports that only a film of fluid will remain on itssurface instead of being submerged by a heavy layer while another ofsaid chambers is submerged, whereby said first rhamber is substantiallya dry chamber as compared with the submerged chamber, thereby insuringalmost instantaneous separation of the fluid.

6. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle and having a bottom and atop, a pair of cylinder-forming chambers in the bowl, and a centeringring carried by the bottom for spacing said cylinders and provided withvertical and horizontal ports.

7. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle and having a bot-- tom and atop, a pair of cylinder-forming chambers therein, a spindle head havingvertical and horizontal ports, and a separating disk separating saidports.

8. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle. and having a bottom and atop, a pair of cylinder-forming chambers therein, a spindle head havingvertical and horizontal ports, and a separating disk separating saidports, said disk projecting substantially to the bowl wall.

9. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle and having a bottom and atop, a pair of cylinder-forming chambers therein, a centering ringcarried by the bottom for spacing said cylinders and provided withvertical and horizontal ports, a spindle head having vertical andhorizontal ports, and a separating disk separating said ports andprojecting substantially to the bowl wall.

10. In a centrifuge, the combination of a housing having a Waste chamberat the top thereof and having an outlet therefrom, a cover for saidhousing and provided with a centrally-located inlet nozzle, a rotatingspindle in said housing, means for rotating it, a bowl carried by saidspindle having a ported bottom and a top having adjustable portscommunicating with the waste chamber, a plurality of cylinder-formingchamberswithin said bowl, means carried by the bowl bottom for centeringsaid cylinders'and having vertical and horizontal ports, the latterforming communication between 'a pair of spaced chambers and the formerhaving communication with the intermediate chamber and the ports of thebowl bottom, and a spindle head having a chamber in communication withthe inlet'nozzle and having obliquely-located ports in communication 1-with the inner cylinder chamber, said head also having ports incommunication with the adjustable ports and with the outer cylinderchamber adjacent to the bowl wall, and ports formingcommunicatiombetween the outer chamber and an intermediate cham- -acentrally-located inlet nozzle, a rotating spindle in said housing,means for rotating it and located within the housing, a bowl carried bysaid spindle having a ported bottom and a top having adjustable portscommunicating with the waste chamber, a plurality of cylinder-formingchambers within said bowl, means carried by the bowl bottom forcentering said cylinders and having vertical and horizontal ports, thelatter forming communication between a pair of spaced chambers and theformer having communication with the intermediate chamber and the portsofthe bowl bottom, and a spindle head having a chamber in communicationwith the inlet nozzle and having obliquelylocated ports in communicationwith the inner cylinder chamber, said head also having ports incommunication with the adjustable ports and with the outer cylinderchamber adjacent to the bowl wall, and ports forming communicationbetween the outer chamber and an intermediate chamber. 7

12. In a centrifuge,.the combination of a housing having a waste chamberat the top thereof and having an outlet therefrom, a cover for saidhousing and provided with a centrally-located inlet nozzle, a rotatingspindle in said housing, means for rotating it, a bowl carried by saidspindle having a ported bottom and a top having adjustable portscommunicating with the waste chamber, a plurality of cylinder-formingchambers within said bowl, means carried by the bowl bottom forcentering said cylinders and-having vertical and horizontal ports, thelatter f0rming communication between a pair of spaced chambers and theformer having communication with the intermediate chamber and the portsof the bowl bottom, and a spindle head having a chamber in communicationwith the inlet nozzle and having obliquely-located ports incommunication with the inner cylinder chamber, said head also havingports in communication with the adjustable ports and with the outercylinder chamber adjacent to the bowl wall, and ports forming communic'ation between the outer chamber and an intermediate chamber, said housinghaving a chamber below and in communication with the bowl provided witha clear fluid outlet therefrom.

13. In a centrifuge, the combination of a housing having a waste chamberat the top thereof and having an outlet therefrom, a cover for saidhousing and provided with a centrally-located inlet nozzle, a rotatingspindle in said housing, means for rotating it,

a bowl carried by said spindle having a ported 1 bottom and a top havingadjustable ports communicating with the waste chamber, a plurality ofcylinder-forming chambers within said bowl, means carried by the bowlbottom for centering said cylinders and having vertical and horizontalports, the latter forming communication between a pair of spacedchambers and the former having communication with the intermediatechamber and the ports of the bowl bottom. a spindle head having achamber in communication with the inlet nozzle and havingobliquelylocated ports in communication with the inner cylinder chamber,said head also having ports in communication with the adjustable portsand with theouter cylinder chamber adjacent to the bowl wall, and portsforming communication between the outer chamber and an intermediatechamber, said housing having a chamber below and in communication withthe bowl provided with a clear fluid outlet therefrom, braking meanscarried by the housing for engaging the bottom of the bowl, and upperand lower bearings for supporting the spindle within the housing, saidupper bearing having means for automatically adjusting it.

14. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle and having nesting cylinderforming chambers, said bowl having outlet ports above and below thecylinders whereby the fluid will alternately pass through the cylinderforming chambers the entire length of the cylinders before passing fromthe bowl, said ports located so as to pass the fluid from the innermostchamber to the outermost chamber and from there toward the center ofrotation through an adjacent chamber, the outlet for the clean fluidbeing at the bottom and the outlet for the dirty or waste fluid at thetop of the bowl, and a discharge pan around the top of the bowl for thedirty fluid.

15. In a centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable spindle, means forrotating it, a bowl carried by the spindle and having nesting cylinderforming chambers, said bowl having outlet ports above and below thecylinders whereby the fluid will alternately pass through the cylinderforming chambers the entire length of the cylinders before passing fromthe bowl, said ports located so as to pass the fluid from the innermostchamber to the outermost chamber and from there toward the center ofrotation through an adjacent chamber, the outlet for the clean fluidbeing at the bottom and the outlet for the dirty o1 waste fluid at thetop of the bowl, a housing for the spindle rotating means, a removablebowl protecting shell carried by said housing and having at its upperend a discharge pan around the top of the bowl for the dirty fluid, anda removable cover for said pan.

Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 30th day of August, 1929.

GUSTAV B. PETSCHE. ALFRED E. DRISSNER.

